Steven Sotloff, the U.S. journalist held captive by ISIS, has been beheaded. He had been shown at the end of the James Foley execution video, and ISIS had promised that if U.S. bombing continued in the region, Sotloff would be killed.

Steven Sotloff is the other U.S. journalist shown in the James Foley execution video. In the last moments of the horrifying footage, the executioner says: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.”

On last reports, Sotloff was being held in Raqqa, Syria. His family were aware that he had been kidnapped but, heeding advice, did not want it to be public. You can watch a censored version of the James Foley execution video below; Steven Sotloff appears at the end:

Here’s what you need to know about Sotloff:

1. Sotloff Is a Nationally Recognized Journalist

Sotloff is a renowned journalist who has worked for Time Magazine, among other outlets, and been a guest on CNN and Fox News. He apparently filed his last piece for Time on November 26, 2012. The piece was about “Libya’s New Crisis.”

2. He Has Been Missing for 12 Months

Sotloff had been missing, believed kidnapped since August 4, when he was taken in Aleppo, Syria. Sotloff, a Miami native, sent his last tweet on August 3, 2013. His second to last tweet was more relevant to conflicts in the region:

4. Sotloff Was Based in Libya & ‘Deeply Loved the Islamic World’

On his Facebook page, Sotloff wrote that he was living in Benghazi. A friend of Sotloff’s, Anne Marloe, wrote on Twitter that he lived in Yemen for years and that he “spoke good Arabic, deeply loved the Islamic world.”

5. The NSC Has Reacted to the Video

We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of US citizen James Foley by ISIL. The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity. If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We will provide more information when it is available.

54 comments

This young man looks to me like he knew what was going to happen… and he was brave. Look at his face willing to put down weakness and be strong and brave in the face of such evil… and such a horrible murder. I won’t watch the vid. It’s painful to have your neck and throat cut. However… he is a brave young man and this picture of bravery in the face of evil I will remember forever.

You realize they must have tortured him to the point of insanity. Where they can make him say anything they wanted. And even if he refused or said what he wanted to say, they would just torture him some more and do another take.

As terrible as it sounds, he may have said what they wanted because he wanted to die and be free from the torture (he was kidnapped for an entire year).

You must fight to the END ALWAYS. You must make your captives know you will not comply when it’s your life on the line. I watched the video and believe this is a CIA PSYOP. Think and be smart my fellow Americans.

i dare you to repeat that when IS is putting a knife against _your_ throat. also when, as T already said, you were most probably tortured to no end. i’m not going to even comment your ridiculous CIA conspiracy…

LOOK AT FOLEYS EMPLOYER; NOTHING THEY MAKE REACHES ANY OUTLET OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE QUALITY OF HIS THE ‘JOURNALISM’ VIDEOS WERE THAT NO HIGHER THAN A 17 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. HIS NARRATIVE, THE VERBAL DIALOGUE CONTAINED IN THE ITEMS HE MADE WERE A ‘2’ ON A ’10’ SCALE; HE WAS A RANK AMATUER, PORTRAYED AS ‘PROFESSIONAL’ LOOK AT HIS BROTHER AND SISTER, INTERVIEWED BY COURIC, NOTHING BUT SMILES (SISTERS REACTION AND ANIMATED SMILING IS UTTERLY BIZARRE) AND ZERO SADNESS A DAY AFTER THIS VIDEO, THEIR ‘BROTHERS’ GRISLY ‘DEATH’ WAS RELEASED.
A PICTURE LITERALLY FALLS OFF THE WALL DURING THE INTERVIEW….

Let all Americans know, we need to go into Iraq and hunt down every Isis weirdo and kill every damned one of them. Or else, gun up here in the USA and be ready to try to protect ourselves here on our land cause they hate us and want us! Hell, there planted here in the USA already! I have my doubts that Mr. O cares about us here in the USA! Boy, it would sure feel good to see OUR President flex his muscle on them! I’d feel alot more secure! I am scarred crap less of ISIS! There coming for us!! Omg! I’d shoot myself first!

not very brave? i would love to see how brave you are after being held captive for over a year physically and mentally tortured, his final words to his family and loved ones being altered to what ISIS wants him to say and then beheaded. have some respect for the family that had to witness the horrific murder of their son. a good man was killed and the comment you have made is not only disrespectful but also inhumane.

Have you ever been a hostage? No? then you have no clue what you’re talking about. MAYBE they threatened to kill his fellow hostages if he didn’t follow orders. Maybe he was doing it to protect others. You weren’t there so please keep stupid comments to yourself. He’s not brave? What the have you done in your life that is so brave which puts you in a position to judge?

I felt the same way. I had a tears in my eyes when he was speakin. It’s amazing how he chose to be brave while talking, his last msged to everyone including his families. Imagine if he has cried, begged and weakness in the video, he’ll kno his family would see it and be more devastated, so for them I think he stood strong. I still can’t believe it. It’s too sad. If there is a god, help his family recover aND not watch the video.

LOOK AT FOLEYS EMPLOYER; NOTHING THEY MAKE REACHES ANY OUTLET OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE QUALITY OF HIS THE ‘JOURNALISM’ VIDEOS WERE THAT NO HIGHER THAN A 17 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. HIS NARRATIVE, THE VERBAL DIALOGUE CONTAINED IN THE ITEMS HE MADE WERE A ‘2’ ON A ’10’ SCALE; HE WAS A RANK AMATUER, PORTRAYED AS ‘PROFESSIONAL’ LOOK AT HIS BROTHER AND SISTER, INTERVIEWED BY COURIC, NOTHING BUT SMILES (SISTERS REACTION AND ANIMATED SMILING IS UTTERLY BIZARRE) AND ZERO SADNESS A DAY AFTER THIS VIDEO, THEIR ‘BROTHERS’ GRISLY ‘DEATH’ WAS RELEASED.
A PICTURE LITERALLY FALLS OFF THE WALL DURING THE INTERVIEW….

I agree Laura. Bravery in the face of evil. He’s in a better place now and I’m sure his bravery was strength thru Christ. His Bravery had to be somewhat comforting to his Mom during her worst time in life. He died honorably.

This video is such a poor hoax it’s ridiculous. He has a military grade tactical knife and saws it at the throat with ZERO BLOOD. It would take one swipe and he’d already be to the bone, and after several swipes before they conveniently fade to black, there’s nothing on the neck, shirt, or hands of the assassin………He’s entirely too calm, as well. He speaks in terms of knowing he’s destined to die, so why read off the cue cards like they want him to if he knows there’s no chance of surviving. The whole video stinks of hoax to high hell. Stupid americans eat this shit up, though. We’re fucked.

From what I read (I don’t have the stomach to watch for myself) the full, uncensored video shows that Foley was decapitated and his head placed on his body… This, coupled with the fact that ISIS is one of the most barbaric and ruthless organizations in the world, makes me believe it’s probably not a hoax. There is not much hope for Steve Sotloff, unfortunately…

Same reason death row inmates choose to speak prior to taking their last breath – hope. Hope never dies.
I didn’t watch the video either & I don’t know if his parents watched; but they may have “listened” to his words … and as a mother, I’m confident enough to say his mother could hear those unspoken words our ears aren’t capable of.
Another life has tragically ended too soon behind a senseless crime. It needs to just stop – REGARDLESS of nationality, the country or leaders. It’s time to just stop!
I cannot wrap my mind around the thought process of someone’s 24/7 ill minded mentality. I can’t.
And what’s the point of pointing fingers? Seriously. Is that suppose to resolve the issue? No. And it never will. The blaming & accusations is doing nothing but adding more fuel to an out of control fire, if not providing ideas that haven’t already been conjured up. It also starts arguments which creates tension amongst ourselves.
History is repeating itself. Same script, different cast. I’m done. Smh.
R.I.P. to all whose life ended bc of any/all types of criminals … xoxo

No way he could have known they would actually behead him and stayed that calm! He would have to have been panic – stricken rather than totally relaxed. I agree that the knife should have done more damage right away. And usually these videos don’t fade to black. They savour the killing. They want the world to see all of it. I don’t believe they planned for a commercial break there!
It would be a great relief to find out that this video is a fake. My heart goes out to the Foley family and friends.

People you are just crazy! Believing in this propaganda bull. Have you watched the video? that terrorist guy seesaws his neck 7 or 8 times before video fades out and yet there’s no blood gushing from his throat. And where’s the “best” part of the video?
Why would these terrorist bastards take out the most brutal part from it?
Why are they both miked? These microphones are needed either only indoor studio or if there’s too much noise. Camcorder alone would have done just fine.
What rubbish is Foley talking about before his beheading?
And listen to this perfect script that terrorist guy is reading. Video is edited few times throughout. Why not one straight roll?
And look at the failed attempt to create wind effect: it more looks like a fan blowing air way too consistently focused only at Foley’s orange suit top.
All I ask folks – first think, then talk!
It’s all fishy!

LOOK AT FOLEYS EMPLOYER; NOTHING THEY MAKE REACHES ANY OUTLET OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE QUALITY OF HIS THE ‘JOURNALISM’ VIDEOS WERE THAT NO HIGHER THAN A 17 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. HIS NARRATIVE, THE VERBAL DIALOGUE CONTAINED IN THE ITEMS HE MADE WERE A ‘2’ ON A ’10’ SCALE; HE WAS A RANK AMATUER, PORTRAYED AS ‘PROFESSIONAL’ LOOK AT HIS BROTHER AND SISTER, INTERVIEWED BY COURIC, NOTHING BUT SMILES (SISTERS REACTION AND ANIMATED SMILING IS UTTERLY BIZARRE) AND ZERO SADNESS A DAY AFTER THIS VIDEO, THEIR ‘BROTHERS’ GRISLY ‘DEATH’ WAS RELEASED.
A PICTURE LITERALLY FALLS OFF THE WALL DURING THE INTERVIEW….

The world leaders sit and watch these barbaric acts. James Foley and Sotloof lives in the hearts of people with hearts. pray for the families of the people losing thier beloved ones. we must Act now its 2014 AD not BC:

Completely fake. Edited couple times. What they say… no blood after couple cuts with the knife.. and all this -by massmedia blinded sheeps- believe it haha. Stupid americans. Probably this video and from steven sotloff will be another “good reason” for america to send some joes to the middle east… good luck over there!

We need a leader in the whole to do the unpopular thing and exterminate/ neutralize this threat called ISiS. We have weapons for this very reason. At least throw a Battalion of Marines over there to neutralize this disease. I’m a former Marine who served honorably under a real leader, Ronald Reagan. For those old enough, Libya was brought to their knees within hours of Reagan using decisiveness. This political correctness with the UN has to stop. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than beg (wait) for approval from the UN. Trust me when I say, and history does prove this, a 1000 Well trained Marines can take out and eliminate the ISIS threat. If done correctly, it will discourage most of the future jihadists as well.

This is so tragic for the family of Steven Sotloff. There was an incisive article and pictures online quoting the Australian terror captive, Warren Rodwell, and noted psychologists saying that beheading victims would have felt ‘compliant’ at the end. “Once you lose hope you lose heart… someone tells you ”say this” and you say it’. This is the reason that journalists damned America before execution. A couple of days have now passed. We must all try to view this entire situation calmly and rationally, not be emotionally manipulated by Jihadi John and his goons. The more ignorant the people, the easier they are manipulated by fear. The viral jihadi meme of the week is “Join ISIS, and 9 out of 10 people you kill will be from your side”. What a sales pitch!

What languages has this article been translated in and out of before being returned to English? The words that every self righteous infidel is really trying to wrap their lips around are more about what’s for dinner tonight. God knows what those men held hostage are having. Figure it out for yourself, ladies. Size does not matter? Pfft – size does matter when you are trying to buy clothes… And they wonder why I won’t shop over the internet? What about you? Do you have similar sizing scenarios?